Thursday, August 13, 2015

1 Thessalonians chapter 4, the Bible reads in verse number 1 "Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication."

Now it says in verse number 1 there "... ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God," In verse 2, he says, "... ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus." Then in verse 3 "... For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication." A lot of times when people talk about the will of God, they talk about it as this mysterious thing, where there seeking after the will of God. They're praying and trying to figure out what God wants them to do. But honestly when you study the Bible we pretty much know what we need to do as Christians, 99% of the time.

People make a mystery out of something that's actually revealed in scripture. The Bible is saying, "You know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. ... this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication." You see if you follow the commandments of the Bible and obey everything in the word of God, then you’re in the will of God. When you’re not obeying Gods commandments and when you’re not obeying scripture, you’re not in the will of God. It’s really that simple.

Now a lot of time when people are seeking the will of God, they're looking to know things about specific locations, for example or people. They'll say, "I'm looking for the will of God concerning, where to live? Where to start a church? What to do for a living? Who to marry?" But in reality many of these things are actually choices that God has left onto us. The Bible says, in Ecclesiastes, "Fear God and keep his commandments for this is the whole duty of man." Once you have obeyed everything that the Bible tells you to do, that's your whole duty, you’re done. God gives us choices in life and he gives us free will to decide who we want to marry; to decide where we want to live. These things are not set in stone somewhere, where God has a certain place for us to live and a certain person for us to marry and we have to somewhat figure out and solve this mystery. No. We need to obey the word of God and the Bible does say that God will direct our paths if we do that.

The Bible says, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." The Bible says, "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord ..." We just need to focus on being that good man so that our steps can be ordered by the Lord. We just need to worry about trusting in the Lord with all our heart and not leaning on our own understanding and then he will direct our paths. But people spend a lot of time agonizing about things that are questionable, when we really ought to be agonizing about that which we know to be true. We ought to be putting more effort and thought into how can we obey the Bible, than in trying to know the unknown and searching for the will of God.

He says, "No, this is the will of God." That your sanctified, that you live a holy life, that you obey the Bible, that you keep the commandments, that's what God, wants us to do. He's revealed us those things in scripture. Honestly God is okay with you marrying who you want to marry. As long as you marry someone who's saved. As long as follow the commandments of the Bible and marry a godly person, and you’re a godly person, well then everything will be fine. It's the same thing with a lot of the choices in our lives. I heard someone say it this way, "The what of God's will, is more important than the where, of Gods will." Sometimes young men are agonizing about where to start a church? They know that God wants them to go out and preach the Gospel and be a bishop, but they agonize about where? When in reality, the where, is not really that important.

People are dying and going to hell everywhere. People need to be saved everywhere. We need a soul winning church everywhere. Honestly, it's not that important. What's important is that, you meet the qualifications. What's important is that, "Study to show you’re self-approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." There are even some guidelines in the Bible that can help someone decided where to start a church, but it should all be coming from the Bible. Not just seeking some ethereal, mysterious will of God. But I've seen a lot of people really get wrapped up in that and waste a lot of time and energy thinking about that.

The Bible says here, in 1 Thessalonians 4 verse number 1, he says, "Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God ... " He says look, you already know how to walk. You already know how to please God. What you need to do is just abound more and more. He says, in verse 2, "For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication." Now what is sanctification mean? Go back to Exodus chapter 13, if you would. Exodus chapter number 13.

I love how the Bible defines itself. The Bible is truly, its own dictionary. A lot of times, whenever there is a difficulty word in the Bible, if you go to where the first time that word is mentioned it will define it for you right there in the Bible. Actually we're going to see that with a few different words in this chapter, that can be looked at as difficult words. But look in Exodus chapter 13 verse 2, the Bible reads, "Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine." Now the two words that I want you to pay attention to there are the words sanctify at the beginning of the verse and then half way through the verse you'll see the word womb. "... whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel ... " Jump down to verse 12, and notice that virtually the same statement is made but a few words have been switched. It says in verse 12 "That thou shalt set apart unto the Lord all that openeth the matrix ... " Notice, instead of saying "Sanctify unto the Lord ... " it says "... set apart unto the Lord ... " Instead of saying " ... whatsoever openeth the womb ... " it says " ... whatsoever openeth the matrix ... "

Right there we can define some difficult bible words. We can see that sanctify means set apart. Then we can also see that matrix means the womb. Okay. Right there the Bible is defining itself. Elsewhere, if we study the Bible, we can see for example, the Old Testament Holy Place, is known in the New Testament as the Sanctuary. We can see that sanctify means made holy or set apart, if we just use the Bible to define its own terms.

When the Bible says this is the will of God back in 1 Thessalonians 4 “... even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication." What's he saying? He's saying that you should be holy. What does he mean by being holy? He means that you should be set apart, okay. Set apart for the service of God. Paul said in Romans 1:1 that he was sanctified and he said that he was set apart unto God. In fact flip over to Romans 1 just so that I can quote that properly here. Romans chapter 1, he said, "Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God." The Bible talks about being set apart for the use of God, different from just your average person in this world, someone who is holy, someone who is set apart for God.

When the Bible says that its Gods will for us to be sanctified, what's he saying? To be different from this world; to be cleansed of the filth of this world and to live a godly, righteous, holy life that's different from the unsaved people around us. That's what he means when he says, "This is the will of God, even your sanctification, that you should abstain from fornication." Why? Because this world does not abstain from fornication by enlarge. In this world, fornication is considered acceptable. This is basically what goes on in the marriage bed, happening before people are married. This is people who sleep with someone that they're not married to. The Bible is saying here, that it is Gods will, that we as Christians be different. That we be sanctified and that we abstained from fornication.

Then he expands on that thought on verse 4 by saying, "That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification" there's that word again, "... and honor." Now our vessel is referring to the body, the physical body. This is the vessel that we dwell in and it says "That every one of us should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor; Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God. That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness." Again, we see these words being repeated sanctification, holiness and he's saying, "You’re not going to be like the Gentiles which know not God." You don't want to be someone who is unclean, but rather you want to be holy, different set apart, cleansed from the filth of this world.

Now, there's a word in verse 5, that's kind of a difficult word that we don't use very often and that is the word concupiscence. Again, the Bible actually defines this word for us, go back to Romans 7. This word is used three times in the New Testament and it’s interesting if you look at the first time it’s looked up. I'm sorry, if you look at the first time that it’s mentioned in scripture and then if you look at this mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 4, the definition is right there built into the verse. You can see what it means from the context. Look at Romans chapter 7 verse 7, the Bible says, "What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet." Right there we get definition of the word covet, to lust after something. We know that lust and covetousness, have to do with desiring something that does not rightfully belong to you. It’s something that is off limits unto you.

Desiring something that belongs to you; that's great. Desiring your wife, desiring your car, desiring your house, the things that you have, but when you desire other peoples stuff, that's covetousness. Lust is when you’re looking at someone who is not your wife, okay, you’re looking at someone else's wife and you’re desirous of her. Then that's why the Bible says, "Though shall not covet thy neighbor’s wife." Right here, he defines for us covetousness as lust and then in verse 8, it says, "But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead." Now flip back over to 1 Thessalonians 4, if we look at that passage, he's saying, "Before the commandment, though shall not covet. He had not known lust but once the commandment came, then it talked about him having all manner of concupiscence." We see that concupiscence is lust; if we look at those two verses together, we see that they're being used interchangeably.

When the Bible says, in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, "Not in the lust of concupiscence ..." we again can see that, that definition is consistent. "Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God." Why would it say, "... lust of concupiscence …” lust of lust. Well no, because concupiscence is specifically lust of the sensual nature. Lust in regard to adultery and fornication, when the Bible says, "... lust of concupiscence ..." we're getting more specific here. You’re not coveting your neighbor’s house or his car, but rather you’re coveting a woman. You’re coveting either someone to commit fornication with or commit adultery with. That's what the Bible is teaching here.

It says, "Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God. That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness." Now, what is that have to do with defrauding your brother? What is the lust of concupiscence have to do with defrauding anyone, right? Because he says, "Don't walk in the lust of concupiscence, that no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified." The context here is about basically sins of fornication and adultery. What he saying here, is that going beyond and defrauding your brother would be committing adultery with your neighbors wife, number one. Or it could be, if you were to commit fornication with a woman before she's married, you’re basically defrauding her future husband; because the Bible, throughout the Old Testament, talks about the virtues of a woman being a virgin when she gets married. That is of great price in the sight of God. But if you go and deflower some girl that you’re not married to, then basically now your defrauding someone there.

You see, whenever we commit see we're harming other people. Sometimes we just look at it as, well it’s my life I'll face the consequences of my actions. But honestly, whenever you commit sin you’re harming other people too. Because other people have to live with the consequences of what you’re doing. You commit adultery with someone else's wife, with someone else's husband. There's that marriage that's being destroyed, there's that other person that you’re hurting. The person that you’re with is being hurt and when you commit fornication, you are harming people’s lives, your harming your own life. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 6, "... he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body." But your also harming the person that your committing fornication with and they're future spouse, they're future marriage is not going to be the same because the damage that your doing with the sin that you commit.

Now this kind of preaching isn't that popular today because so many people participate in the sin of fornication in the United States 2015, but this is what the Bible teaches. God sets the standard as being pure when you get married and not committing fornication that's the will of God for our lives and he says, "Don't defraud your brother." Don't defraud someone by taking away what belongs to them because of you covetousness and lust. He says, "Don't go beyond." Beyond what? Beyond the scope of what God has given you. God has allotted you the right to every man has his own wife and every woman to have her own husband. Don't go beyond that. Be content with such things as you have and rejoice in the wife of thy youth. Don't go beyond that, is what the Bible is teaching.

It says in verse number 6, "That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness." Notice that at the end of verse 6, he says, "... we forewarned you ..." there's a warning associated with this. If you commit fornication, if you commit adultery God will revenge that sin, that's what the Bible says. The Bible says in Hebrew's chapter 13, "Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whore-mongers and adulterers God will judge." You see the punishment that is associated with that sin, it’s a warning.

He says, "... we also have forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness." Verse 8 "He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his Holy Spirit." This goes back to what he had said in chapter 2, when he said in verse 13, "For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when you received the word of God which ye heard of us, you received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe." In chapter 2, he said when you heard us preach the word of God, you didn't treat it like it was our word, you treated it like it was the word of God because that's what it was. It was the word of God. That's why here, he says, "He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God." He's saying, if you get mad at this preaching when the preaching gets hard against fornication, it gets hard against adultery, he said, you’re not despising man, you’re not despising the preacher, your despising God.

A lot people want to kill the messenger. They get really mad when a preacher gets up and preaches hard against sin and rails on sin and they try to call them hateful and mean, but honestly, a preacher is just faithfully delivering the word of God and a lot of the times, the Bible is mean. A lot times the Bible is harsh, the Bible uses strong language, why? Because God is trying to send us a strong message, that we don't have the right to live an unclean, unholy, wicked life and that he demands our sanctification. He wants us to keep our bodies as the temple of the Holy Ghost and to keep them from uncleanness and not to defraud other people of their wife and what they deserve and to just be content with such things as we have. We're supposed to keep our body and honor our body and not just make our body the members of a harlot, as it says in 1 Corinthians 6, but to actually keep ourselves sanctified and set apart. You say, "Well everyone is doing it." But God says, "Be different, be holy. I'm holy." God says, "You need to be holy."

That's what the Bible is teaching here, when he says, "That he therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God." Don't get mad at the preacher, its God who said to us these things. It says in verse 8 there, "... who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit." Verse 9 "But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;" Here he's praising them for being a very loving church. He's saying you don't even really need me to take the time to love one another because you already been such a great example of the love of God and you already shown love. But he's saying, "Just increase more, you’re doing great, just keep on doing what you’re doing and increase even more and more."

Then it says in verse 11 "And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; that ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing." Now this is another theme in the books of first and second Thessalonians that comes up over and over again. You see Paul had been to this church and he knew what things they were strong in and what things they needed work in. He knew that they were a very loving church but he feels the need to really warn them about fornication. He also is constantly talking to them about the persecutions, tribulations and things that we will endure as Christians. He talks to them a lot about Bible prophecy. But another theme that comes up in the books of first and second of Thessalonians is this idea of working hard and being a good worker.

Now flip over to 2 Thessalonians chapter 3, look what the Bible says in verse 10 "For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread." Notice the similarity here, he says "... that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread." Over in 1 Thessalonians 4 he said, "... that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you." Translation, "Shut up and get to work." is what he's saying. Now the reason he's saying that is because the Bible tells us in Proverbs, "In all labor there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury or poverty." He's saying people who just talk and run their mouths instead of working become poor. Gods telling us that we need to study to be quiet and to do our own business and to work with our own hands as he commanded us. He's saying "If any will not work, neither should he eat."

God is saying that we as man were born to work, six days shalt thou labor, the Bible talks about, over and over again. Back in Genesis, he told Adam that he would work by the sweat of his face all the days of his life. We as men have been created to work. When you talk to people who don't work much, as men, they're miserable people. They get depressed because work is what we're created to do. Men are happy when they have important work to do and stay busy working. But one thing that sometimes people do instead of working is just talking. You know that sometimes at your job you've seen people who get carried away talking, instead of working. God is telling us that he doesn't want us to be that guy. He wants us to be a hard worker and especially children, when you tell them to do their school work or you tell them to clean their room or do any kind of work in the yard or work around the house, you often catch them just, "Blah, blah, blah, blah." Just talking and talking and talking and work isn't getting done, at the same rate as when you just shut up and just put all your focus on working.

Now there is a time to talk and there's a time to speak and there's a time to be silent and to focus on work and to just get serious about getting something done. It's great to be a talkative person but you just need to know when is the appropriate time to talk and when is the appropriate time to just buckle down and get some serious work done. These people at Thessalonica obviously had a problem in this area because he says, "I told you when I was there." Then he writes them a letter about it. Then he comes by and visits again and tells them again. Then he writes them a second letter about it. I mean, he just keeps telling these people, "Work, work, get to work. Shut up, work!" Notice the people that don't work are busybodies. What do busy bodies do? Talk about things. The Bible says "... busybodies, speak of things which they ought not." They talk about other peoples matters and they get involved in everybody else's business.

We need to be careful not to fall into the trap of talking to much and working to little. We need to find the balance in our lives of working when its time to work and talking when it's time to talk. There are times at work when there are opportunities to talk, where your doing something where you can talk. Or maybe your driving to the job site or your on a lunch break or your doing an activity where talking doesn't take away from it. But often talking does take away from productivity at work and you want to give your boss 100%. Be a good testimony and work as unto the Lord and not unto man. That's what the Bible is teaching here, when it says, "... study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands." He says, " ... as we commanded you." reiterating that he already told them this.

Then in verse 12 he says, "That you may walk honestly toward them that are without." What's that mean? People that are outside of the church, that you'll walk honestly, that you'll be a good testimony unto them. That they will see your work and they would be impress by it and that they wouldn't be looking at you as the worse worker on the job or as someone who is always bumming money off of everybody and taking all the freebies that they can. They're seeing that your a hard worker that works hard, they can provide for them self and they can even be generous with the people around them. That's the kind of testimony we want to have as Christians. "That we may walk honestly toward them that are without." That they don't see us be dishonest, instead of working hard for our money and that we may have lack of nothing. That we will have the food and clothes that God has for us.

You see God has promised to supply all our need according to His riches and glory by Christ Jesus. But that doesn't mean that if you don't go to work He's just going to supply your need even if you don't go to work. Why? Because the Bible says "If a man won't work neither should he eat." God has promised to provide us with food but that doesn't mean that we're not suppose to go to work and earn the money for our food. You see God expects us to do our part and then He'll take care of it from there. But if we're going to be lazy and not do our part, He's not obligate to fee someone who's lazy and not working.

We talked earlier about the fact that God gives us a choice of who we're going to marry. God says that ladies may marry, whosoever they will, only in the Lord; and we do have choices. We're not forced, unless your in a country or something where they're forcing you into an arrange marriage but that's not a biblical teaching. The Bible teaches that people should be able to chose their own spouse, but that there are certain criteria for choosing. I'm not going to go into that. That's outside the scope of this sermon to go into all the criteria in choosing a wife or choosing a husband. But it always cracks me up when people have this attitude "I'm waiting on the Lord for a wife." That always just blows me away because that's like saying "Well I'm waiting on the Lord for food." Your not putting in job applications, your not going out and knocking doors, "Oh I'm just waiting for God to give me job." No just because God says that a prudent wife is from the Lord, just because God says that He'll supply our need and give us food and raiment, doesn't mean, hey just sit back and just wait for it all to come to you. No, its your job as a man to go out and find a wife. It's your job to go out and work and put food on the table.

This thing of, "Well I'm just going to sit back and wait on God. Just wait for it to happen" yeah, well good luck with that. See you in 10 years when your still single. It's true. Then what cracks me up too is when somebody will sit there and basically say, "Oh I'm going to marry this divorced woman." And you say, "Well the Bible says that, that's adultery." Here's what they say, "Well then I'm just going to be single for the rest of my life, because this is the only person I can find." There's 7 billion people in the world, half of them are woman. That's like if Adam and Eve said "Well this is the only tree I can eat from. The tree that's forbidden unto me." That doesn't make any sense people. There all kinds of fish in the sea we just live in a society that's so smart phoned and internet, that basically they can't interact socially with people anymore and just meet people, organically.

I mean they can't just talk and meet people, walk up to people and [inaudible 00:27:48] because they're so use to texting or something, that they can't talk and meet people. There's a lot of people out there to meet. "Oh every girl in my whole state is ungodly." What? Look there's 7 thousand men who haven't found the need to bail, I'm sure there are 7 thousand women also who haven't found the need to bail. You just need to find them. Anyway that has nothing to do with the sermon.

But anyway, back to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, it says in verse number 13 "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him." Here he gets to some prophetic things about end times Bible prophecy and he's explaining it to them in the context of people that they've lost. Loved ones that have gone on to be with the Lord. He says, "I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren." so he speaking to the saved here, "... concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope." Now those which are asleep are those who have died because if you notice at the end of verse 14 where it says' "Them which sleep in Jesus." that is the same group as where the Bible says at the end of verse 16 "... the dead in Christ shall rise first." The asleep in Jesus are the dead in Christ.

Now when the Bible says they're asleep, the Bible is talking about their body. The Bible talks about the book of Daniel, that them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall rise. That's talking about their body. We know that when a person dies their soul goes directly to heaven. You say "Where in the Bible does it say that?" Well the apostle Paul said, "I have a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better ..." he said, "For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." Why was it gain for him to die? Because he would depart to be with Christ. He said in 1 Corinthians or 2 Corinthians, I'm sorry, he said in 2 Corinthians 5, "To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord." He said, "We are confident and willing, rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord."

We also see in Revelation, that at the fifth seal being opened, in Revelation chapter 6, that the souls of them that had been beheaded for the witness of Jesus are up there in Heaven saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?" They're very conscious, very awake and they're saying, "How much longer do we have to wait Lord, until you judge?" they're up there waiting. The body is asleep. This doctrine of soul sleep, of the Jehovah's Witnesses and Seven Day Adventist is a false doctrine. The sleep in Jesus is talking about the body.

Now that's very clear also in this passage because the Bible say right here, you say, "Well I'm still not convinced." Okay, look what the Bible says in verse 14, "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him." Well where is God coming from? From Heaven. He's bringing them with him, from where? From Heaven. The asleep in Jesus, those people, their soul's in Heaven. That's why he says, "The dead in Christ shall rise first." that's the body, "... and He'll bring them with Him." that's the soul, so they're in two different places. Because when a Christian dies, their body doesn't go to Heaven, their body remains, we bury it. The soul goes to Heaven immediately. But then a person who's unsaved, their body remains, the soul goes to Hell.

Later there's a resurrection of life. This event right here, where the body and the soul are reunited and the body is changed in a twinkling of an eye unto a new glorious body. Then later, there's a resurrection of damnation, in the Bible calls it, where actually the unsaved are bodily resurrected and then they're soul and body is cast into the lake of fire for all eternity. But what's interesting about this passage also is that it's a great prove of the deity of Jesus Christ. This is another great proof that Jesus is God. See throughout that New Testament, the Bible will often refer to Jesus as God. For example in Hebrews 1:8, it says, "But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom." The Bible says, "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." That's all talking about God and those are all things that Jesus did.

Throughout the New Testament, Jesus is referred to as the Lord or He's referred to as God. That's why Thomas fell before Him when he had seen the print of the nails in His hands. He said, "My Lord and my God." and what did Jesus say to Thomas? "Blessed art thou Thomas because you believe. You've seen and believed. But blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed." He didn't correct him, when he called Him "My Lord and my God." because that's what He was. But this also calls Jesus God because look what it says in verse 14 "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep." See in this passage, whenever it talks about Jesus Christ coming in the clouds, when it talks about Him descending with the sound of a trumpet, it only refers to Him in this passage as God or the Lord, every time. But of course we know its Jesus because of the fact that Matthew 24 it says, "The Son of man will come in the clouds with the sounds of the trumpet." and so forth.

The same person is being called, the Son of man, God and the Lord, its Jesus. It says right here that God will bring them with Him, verse 15 "For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord." Now again, I can't emphasize enough, this event commonly known as the Rapture, when the believers are caught up into the clouds, to be with the Lord, in the air, to be with Christ, this event is known as the Coming of the Lord; this is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

The event in Revelation 19 is never referred to as the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, that's referred to as Armageddon, that's a different event. The Second Coming, is Christ coming in the clouds, people will say, "Well He didn't touch down." that's none of your business, if the Bible calls it the Coming, it's the Coming. "Well it doesn't fit my criteria for ...” Nobody asked you! If He came in the clouds and sounds trumpets and gathers the believers and He wants to call that the Second Coming then I'm going to call it the Second Coming. You say, "Well it doesn't say second." Well okay, but it’s the second one, because the first time was in Bethlehem, coming one, this is coming number two. There's no one and half coming, okay. Or I always say to people when they say "Well this isn't the Second Coming." I say, "Are you denying that Jesus came the first time?" I mean that's the only way you cannot call this the Second Coming. "Well your just play semantics." No they're playing semantics, to try to twist scripture to teach a Rapture that comes before the Tribulation, which is not what the Bible ever teaches anywhere.

Including in this passage, there's no Pre-tribulation Rapture, in this passage. In fact in chapter 5, Gods going to very clearly give us the timing of the Rapture and it’s after the Tribulation. In fact, the timing given in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 is exactly the same as the timing that we find in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21. You see in chapter 5 verse 1 it says, "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I write unto you." and he goes in to discussing the times. See in 1 Thessalonians 4, there's no mention of the timing of when this will take place. There's no mention of timing, there's no mention of when this is happening and then in chapter 5, he gets into the subject of the timing. But a lot of people just stop reading in the end of chapter 4, they don't get to chapter 5, where he lays out the timing.

Here in chapter 4 let’s keep reading. It says in verse 15 "For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep." now prevent means come before; pre means before and then vent comes like from the same root word as like the Spanish word "venir" which means to come; prevent means come before. It says, "... shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first." Notice he says, "We that are alive and remain will not prevent them which are asleep." We're not going to come before them, why? Because the dead in Christ shall rise first, the Bible is real clear on the time line here.

First, the dead in Christ are resurrected. "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." Now the interesting thing here is that in this passage pretty much every verse mentions the departed loved one, because remember that's the subject. In verse 13 it says, "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep." That's the topic of discussion, what happened to our beloved that has died and gone to be with the Lord? Are we ever going to see dad again, mom again, grandma and grandpa, if there were believers in Christ? The Bible says, "We do not mourn like those who have no hope." Because look at each verse.

Verse 13, he says, "... them which are asleep.” verse 14 says, "... them also which sleep in Jesus.” verse 15 says, at the end, "...them which are asleep.” verse 16 says, "... the dead in Christ." Verse 17 says, "That we will be caught up together with them." Right there, ever single verse is making reference back to the departed loved ones, that's the subject. Because a lot of people will point back to verse 18, where it says, "Wherefore comfort one another with these words." I've had many people tell me "That proves that, that's a Pre-Tribulation Rapture." That proves that the Rapture happens before the Tribulation because see He's comforting us. He's comforting us. See and here's what they say, "How is it comforting to know that we're going to go through great tribulation? That's not comforting." But here Gods not comforting you saying, "You’re not going to go through the Tribulation. So just get comfortable buddy. Just sit back, relax and just enjoy because you’re going to disappear and before any of the crazy stuff happens, you’re going to gone." That's not what this passage is about. People have twisted this passage.

The real passage is teaching that those who've departed to be with Christ, they're with Him and we're going to see them again one day, so "... comfort one another with these words." is telling us that when someone dies and they're in Christ, let’s say at a funeral, this would be something that we could use to comfort people. To get up and say "We don't mourn like those who have no hope. We will see this person again. They're in a better place. We will spend eternity in Heaven with that person and in the New Heaven and the New Earth with the Lord Jesus Christ, so we don't have to mourn like those who have no hope." Now the sad part about this is that there are people that have no hope. People who are not saved, when they lose a loved one, they have no hope of ever seeing that person again. Or if your save and someone you know who did not know the Lord Jesus Christ their Savior depart, you will never see that person again. That's a hopeless situation, isn't? But when we lose someone who is a believer, we don't mourn like those who have no hope.

Here's the thing, some people when they lose a saved loved one, are going to be very sad and they're still going to mourn. The Bible is saying "We don't mourn at all." No, that's not what its saying. The Bible is not saying we don't mourn at all, the Bible's just saying we don't mourn like those who have no hope. There is mourning obviously, when we lose someone we're going to be sad just because we are not going to be able to see them anymore on this earth and we're going to miss them. But we don't mourn to the depths that we would mourn if we actually were never going to see that person again.

In fact, if a believer loses someone that’s a fellow believer or a baby or a young child that we know according to the Bible will go to Heaven. Then when they lose that person it’s almost like that person is just maybe gone to a distant country. I mean think about it, there are people in our live who might move to another country, move to the other side of the world, especially before the internet and Skype and all the different technologies of communication. It used to be if somebody traveled across the ocean to a distant land you might never hear from that person again. Maybe you'd get a letter occasionally, but sometimes the letter couldn't even get through. That's really what it’s like when we as Christians when we lose a child, when we lose a parent or a friend or brother, sisters whoever, it’s just as if that person just took a journey to a far country. In fact, they're in a better place and in fact we know that we're going to be joining them eventually. That's a comforting thing to know as believers. That is the comfort of 1 Thessalonian chapter 4, that's what he's referring to in this passage.

But when we look at this passage, it’s very clear that all of the things mentioned here are consistent with what we see in Matthew 24. Let’s just quickly go over there and make that quick comparison. Matthew 24, this also ties in perfectly with 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 but if you want to look at 1 Thessalonian 4 and just get the basic elements of the Rapture, basically you have Christ descending in the clouds, the trumpets sounds and then of course the believers are caught up into the clouds to be with the Lord in the air. Now look what it says in Matthew chapter 24 verse 29 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

Right here we see the same element of Christ coming in the clouds, the trumpets sounding and Him gathering the elect, it’s clearly the same event. Especially when you see that the same things are mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 5, when it talks about the Day of the Lord, which we know is associated with the sun and moon being darkened. Then right here in Matthew 24, what do we have the sun and moon being darkened. These are clearly the same events Christ comes in the clouds, the trumpets sounds and then the elect, which means the saved are gathered together. The Bible says, "... shall gather together his elect from the four winds." the four winds is referring to the 4 compass directions, north, south, east and west. Basically, he's just saying gather them from all over and then it says, "... from one end of heaven to the other."

Now a lot of people just don't want to accept that this is the Rapture because they just can't come to grips with those words in the beginning of verse 29 "Immediately after the tribulation ..." you ask them but why isn't this, the Rapture? "Oh because it’s after the Tribulation." and we know that the Rapture isn't after the Tribulation. Right but how do we know that? "Well 1 Thessalonians 4." Did 1 Thessalonian 4 say anything about before the Tribulation? There is nothing like that. In reality, they just form a preconceived idea which is actually a lie that the Rapture happens before the Tribulation. Then when they look at this, they just say "Oh well this can't be, the Rapture because [inaudible 00:44:27]" but then what's funny is that they'll often quote the verses that are just a few verses down, where it says in verse 40 "Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come." It’s funny because they love to quote that because they can tell you "He can come at any moment."

A minute ago this passage had nothing to do with the Rapture, but when it’s talking about coming in any moment, in their mind, it’s like "Oh yeah, that's the Rapture." But it’s the same passage, it’s the same story. See nowhere does this teach He can come in any moment. Just because we don't know the day or the hour doesn't mean that he can come in any moment. Look at verse 36 "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only." But the question is, which day and hour? If He says but of that day and hour, He's referring to what He was just talking about. What day and hour is that? Of Christ coming in the clouds, the trumpets sounding and the elect being gathered, "... of that day and hour, knoweth no man." We do not know that day nor the hour of the Rapture but we do know that it’s after the Tribulation because He just finished saying that.

It would be like if I said, "Well I'm going to take a trip and I'm going to come back after summer but I'm not going to tell you which day or hour I'm going to be back. Just be ready for me to come back because I'm going to come back sometime after summer and you’re not going to know when that is. Just be ready." Then should I say in July, he's coming today. He can come today. It wouldn't make any sense, what it? He told us it’s after summer, okay. It’s the same thing with this. We don't know the day or the hour but we do know that it’s after the Tribulation. In fact, we know that it’s immediately after the Tribulation, okay. Because the Bible is really clear about that in this passage and in other passages. This teaching is all over the Bible. But I've even heard some people in their Zeal to try to teach "Hey this is not the Rapture." They'll look at verse 31 where at the end it says "... from one end of heaven to the other." I've literally heard people say, "Oh He's just moving people from one end of Heaven to the other." Like the Heaven where God dwells, okay.

Now look at Mark 13, because obviously that statement "... from one end of heaven to the other." is just a figure of speech when you think about how if you look outside, right, and you see the Heaven as in the sky, you've got the horizon on this side, you've got the horizon on that side. One end of Heaven to the other is just basically saying "Everywhere; the whole earth." That's what its saying. If we look at Mark 13, this interpretation kind of falls apart of this teleportation from one end of Heaven to the other, okay. Look what the Bible says in Mark 13 verse 24, "But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven." Here it gives us a slightly different figure of speech that means the same thing.

Again, these people are grasping at straws a lot of times, just to try to find some way to say this is not the Rapture. Then they'll talk about what's missing. They'll use the argument from silence by saying, "Oh well, where did the dead rise in Matthew 24, hmm?" But here’s the thing, if Matthew 24 brought up all the exact same things as 1 Thessalonians 4, we wouldn't need 1 Thessalonians 4. It’s silly to talk about all that wasn't mentioned when you have all these things that line up perfectly. You have zero contradiction between 1 Thessalonians 4 and Matthew 24 they're clearly talking about the same event. Sitting there and saying "Well but there was a detail over here that was left out over here."; that's like saying "Well Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, they don't agree with one another because there were stories left out of Matthew that I found in the book of John. Or there were stories in Matthew that weren't in Luke. That proves that it’s a fraud." No, they are telling different details, otherwise we would only need one Gospel. You give 4 gospels, to give us 4 different stories to focus on. 4 different themes, different things to be emphasized, different details to be added or left out, to make the point that he's trying to make in that particular book.

In Matthew 24, he's focusing on certain things for a reason. In 1 Thessalonians 4, he's focusing on the positives because of the fact that the whole point is to comfort people who've lost loved ones. He's not saying "Hey people, let me lay out for you all of Bible prophecy and all the End Times in 1 Thessalonians 4." No, he said "I don't want you to be ignorant concerning them which are asleep." that's the context. Therefore he's going to focus on the dead rising because that's who we want to see. Where as in Matthew 24, he's not comforting them concerning departed loved ones, that's why he's not making a big deal about the dead in Christ rising. He's focusing more on "Look you’re going to see these things come to pass. You’re going to see the abomination of desolation spoke of by Daniel the prophet. You’re going to see the sun and moon darken and when you see these things, look up lift up your heads for you redemption draweth nigh.”

Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21 is geared towards people who are going to be alive during that time to understand what to expect, what's going to happen, what to look for with the coming of Christ in the clouds. Whereas 1 Thessalonians 4, it’s talking about your dead departed loved ones, that's why there's a different emphasize in both places. To say "Well there must be two different events because it’s giving us different details." is ridiculous. People are really stubborn about this doctrine, of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture, they don't want to let go. They have no evidence. They have no leg to stand one. They can huff and puff all they want but there's no verse that says before the Tribulation or anything like it. There is no verse that says that Jesus can come in any moment. There are verses that say we don't know the day and the hour. There are verses that say we are looking for Him to come back but you know what, the Bible talks a lot about looking forward to things that are even further than that into the future as we already covered in weeks past.

Let’s bow our heads and have a word of prayer. Father, we thank you so much Lord for this clear chapter from your word that tells us how to live holy, how to know your will Lord by studying the Bible, following your commandments, abstaining from fornication, being holy. Lord thank you for the comfort concerning those that we've lost and that we don't mourn like those who have no hope. Father, I pray that we would all study to show ourselves approved study to be quiet, do our own business Lord. Help us to work hard and live Godly and clean lives that will own and glorify you until that day when you come back in the clouds for us. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

1 Thessalonians 3, the bible reads in verse number one, "Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone and sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlaborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith: That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto. For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know."

Now in this passage, Paul starts out by talking about the fact that they were a little bit concerned when they heard about the persecution that the Thessalonians had been going through. They were afraid that they might have been moved by those afflictions. That persecution, that pressure that they were under with all the tribulations that they endured, what if somehow shaken them from their steadfast position? He wants to make sure that they're standing strong in the faith and that they're not letting the afflictions move them.

Now, go to Psalm 62. Back in Psalm 62, David says something similar about not being moved. This is something that throughout the bible is mentioned. Psalm 62 beginning in verse number one, the bible reads, "Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved. How long will ye imagine mischief against a man? Ye shall be slain all of you: as a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence. They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah. My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defense; I shall not be moved."

David is talking about how the enemy is going to attack him, but because God is there to defend him, because God is the rock and the salvation, he says, "I shall not be moved." Something similar is said Psalm 16 when David said, "I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved."

The bible says in the New Testament, the steadfast, "I'm movable," always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. God doesn't want us to be moved. God doesn't want the world to push us around. When persecution comes, the enemies goal is to move us, to push us around. Instead of us just taking our directives from the word of God and doing what God wants us to do, and when we something in the bible, we just do it. No. The world wants to intimidate us, scare us, push us around. God says, "I'm your defense. Don't let them move you. Don't let them push you around."

Paul is a little bit concerned about the Thessalonians just hoping that they are steadfasting their faith. He said, "When we could no longer forebear," in 1 Thessalonians 3:1, he's saying, "You know, we couldn't handle the suspense any longer. When we could no longer forebear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone, and sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlaborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith."

Now, the word "comfort" there, look at the last four letters of comfort, "fort" like a fortress. The word "comfort" in the bible means to strengthen. He's saying, "I wanted Timothy to strengthen you and to establish you to get you unmovable," because he's saying, "I didn't want these persecutions to affect your Christian life." He says, "That no man should be moved by these afflictions for yourselves know that we were appointed thereunto. For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know."

Now, I'm going to get a little more into that but flip over to Acts 14:22. Acts 14:22, Paul said that he had already warned them in the past, that they had an appointment with tribulation, that they had an appointment with affliction. He said, "You know that we're appointed to these things. I already told you when I was with you," but Timothy needed to come and tell them that once again.

Look at Acts 14:22. It says, "Confirming," confirming, and this is very similar to the word establishing, comforting, strengthening. He says, "Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God."

This is a common theme with the apostle Paul that he's warning people about the fact that they're going to go through tribulations and afflictions. He says, "You need to confirm the souls of the saints. You need to strengthen them and let them know that we are going to go through much tribulation before we enter the kingdom of God."

Flip out to John 16 and we'll find the words of Jesus Christ himself teaching the exact same thing. Now, I'm not going to turn there but in Matthew 13, we find the first mention in the New Testament of the word "tribulation". In Matthew 13 when tribulation is mentioned, it says this, "Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended."

We're talking about a Christian that does not have root in himself. He's not rooted and grounded. What's another way of putting that? He's not steadfast, he's not unmovable. So this Christian, because he doesn't have a root in himself, he endures for a while, but when tribulation or persecution arise because of the word, by and by, he's offended.

Now, look what Jesus says with that in mind in John 16:1, "These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service, and these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me, but these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them, and these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you."

Now, here he's saying, "I'm telling you this so that you won't be offended." People are going to be put in prison. People are even going to be killed for the cause of Christ, and he's giving this warning because he doesn't want them to be offended. Isn't that exactly what it said in Matthew 13? Tribulation and persecution comes, they get offended. Paul sends Timothy and says, "Establish them, strengthen them, confirm them, warn them that there are going to be afflictions. Warn them that there are going to be tribulations, that way they're not going to be moved by them."

Now, what is the bible teaching us in all these scriptures? That when we know that something is coming, it's easier for us to withstand. You see, if you go into the Christian life not expecting persecution, not expecting any affliction or trouble, then when it comes upon you, you're caught unawares. Go to 1 Peter 4 if you would. You're caught off guard and then you fail to stand in the evil day. That's why over and over again, Jesus warns, Paul warns, Timothy warns and says, "You're going to go through hard times," because it's a lot easier to deal with hard times when you're expecting them than when they come at you unawares.

Too many Christians today are not being warned about the persecutions that Christians of all generations have endure and especially, they're not being warned that Jesus taught that in the last days, there would be a time a persecution such as was not since the world began. No, no ever shall be. He said, "Then shall be great tribulation." He said, "In those days shall be affliction such as was not from the beginning of time to this time."

I mean, over and over again, there are warnings about the fact that all Christians are going to be persecuted. The bible says, " Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution," but then also, there are all these warnings about the great tribulation when people will be delivered up and put in prison, killed, et cetera. These warnings keep coming over and over again in the bible.

Look at 1 Peter 4:12, "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you, but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy." Don't think it strange because everybody is going to go through it. If you serve God, you will go through trials and tribulations. You will be persecuted for the cause of Christ if you do anything great for God.

Now, back to 1 Thessalonians 3 with all that in mind, because all this teaching is very consistent when we look at the teachings of Jesus, when we look at the teachings of Paul, they're very consistent about this thing of tribulation, that it's something that we all go through as believers.

In Revelation 1, Paul said ... I'm sorry. In Revelation 1, John said, "I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ." He said, "I'm your companion in tribulation." You know what that means? "I'm going through tribulation, you're going through tribulation. We're all going through tribulation, okay?"

Now, people will look at all these scriptures and here's what they'll say, "Well, of course, we go through everyday type of tribulations but we're not going to go through the great tribulation." They teach this thing called the Pre-tribulation Rapture that says that we're all going to be removed from this earth before the great tribulation.

Now, stop and just use a little bit of logic here. If all throughout the New Testament there are just scriptures and scriptures and scriptures telling us about the fact that we're going to go through affliction, we're going to through tribulation, warning us, preparing us, why would then God remove us before the great tribulation? There's nothing like that in the bible. There's nothing that says, "Hey, before the tribulation, we're going to be taken out of here."

In fact, just search for the words before the tribulation, you won't find anything like that, but then search after the tribulation, and if you search after the tribulation, you know what you're going to find? A reference to the rapture. It will say, "Immediately after the tribulation of those days," and then it describes, "Jesus Christ coming in the clouds, the trumpet sounding and him gathering all his elect," but people don't believe that even though it's crystal clear in Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21, they don't believe that.

Instead, they've come up with this teaching called the Pre-tribulation Rapture, meaning, that the rapture can take place at any moment and that we will be removed from this earth before the tribulation. People will say this, "Well, why would God allow his people to go through the great tribulation? Why would he do that to us? Why has he been doing it to us for thousands of years? I mean, he said, 'I was hated of the world, you're going to be hated of the world.' We're going through tribulation, you're going through tribulation, so why would the great tribulation be any different?"

Then another thing that they'll pull out is this thing of, "Well, God has not appointed us to wrath but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ," and they say, "See right there, we're not appointed onto wrath," but here's the thing: Is tribulation the wrath of God? No. All the scriptures that we're looking at that talk about tribulation and affliction which are synonymously used in Matthew 24 and Mark 13, did any of those sound like we're talking about God pointing out his wrath on anybody? No.

Tribulation, trouble, affliction is something that comes from the world. The world brings affliction on God's people and troubles and persecution and tribulation. That's what we're talking about. When we look at the period of the great tribulation, it's a time when the anti-Christ will be in power and when believers will be persecuted because anyone who will not worship the beast and take the mark of the beast in their right hand or in their forehead will be killed or will not be able to buy or sell, and will go through trials.

God's wrath is not poured out until after the tribulation. The bible is real clear about that because after the tribulation is when the sun and moon are darkened. In Revelation 6 when we see the sun and moon being darkened, that's when the wrath of God begins.

Just get this in your mind, the sun and moon being darkened ends the tribulation according to Matthew 24 and Mark 13, and the sun and moon being darkened begins the wrath of God according to Revelation 6 because as soon as that sun and moon are darkened it says, "The great day of his wrath is come." What does it mean "is come"? Why not "has come"? It says "is come" because it means it just arrived right now. "The great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand?"

If the tribulation is before the sun and moon are darkened, and God's wrath starts to be poured out after the sun and moon are darkened, then how can they can the same thing when they're on two different sides of the sun and moon being darkened? Now, what's interesting is that in this passage, we find that exact pattern in chapter three, chapter four and chapter five of 1 Thessalonians.

Everybody knows that 1 Thessalonians 4 is the most famous rapture passage, and in chapter four, it describes Christ coming in the clouds, but here's what's interesting. Look at chapter three and verse number three, "That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto." Pay attention to that word "appointed". "For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know."

According to chapter three, we're appointed to tribulation. That's what it says. Then if we look at chapter four, we see a description of the rapture. Then if we look at chapter five verse number nine, it says, "For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ." Isn't it interesting how this is laid out? Chapter three, we're appointed to tribulation. Chapter four, the rapture. Chapter five, we're not appointed to wrath. That's the pattern.

Tribulation, then the rapture, then God pours out the wrath which we're not appointed to because we've already removed at that point. See how consistent the bible is here? It's funny how all day long, those who believe in a pre-trib rapture will keep repeating this verse, "Not appointed to wrath, not appointed to wrath," but they never even touch chapter three, appointed to tribulation. That wouldn't really go well for their doctrines, would it? "That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto. For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation," but that appointed with affliction and tribulation is overlooked and all we want to talk about is that we're not appointed to wrath, not appointed to wrath.

You see, this is why it's important to study the whole book of 1 Thessalonians and not just take that rapture passage in 1 Thessalonians 4 and just isolate it. You have to study the whole thing and then it all fits together and works together to teach us the truth.

Now, let's go back to chapter three here. It says in verse number five, "For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith." He's saying, "You know, I wanted to check on you guys. I wanted to know if your faith is holding up or if you've buckled under the pressure, if you've been moved by the afflictions."

"Lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labor be in vain, but now when Timotheus came from you unto us, and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, desiring greatly to see us, as we also to see you: Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith."

What's he saying? "We wanted to encourage you. We sent Timotheus to establish you, to confirm you, to strengthen you," but he says, "You ended up encouraging us. We were going through our own affliction and distress, and we heard the great report about how you were holding up, and how you were unmoved, and how you had such great faith in the Lord, we actually ended up being comforted by you. We have been strengthened by you. We were encouraged when Timotheus came unto us and told us how steadfast and unmovable you are."

Now, it's funny because there's a guy named John MacArthur and he's a big false teacher. He's one of the biggest proponents of this pre-tribulation rapture teaching. John MacArthur said, "If we're going to be here for the tribulation," he said, "then why did the apostle Paul never want us in any of his epistles, why is there no warning in any of the epistles that we're going to through this. Wouldn't there some kind of a warning?"

Wait a minute. What is this? Isn't this a warning that we're going to go through tribulation? He said there's no warning. Isn't it interesting that the same false teacher, John MacArthur also said just a few years ago that if you receive the mark of the beast, you could still go to heaven, you could still be saved. Isn't that interesting? The same guy who's telling, "Oh, there's no warning about the tribulation. Don't worry about it. You're not going to be here. You're going to be gone. Don't worry about it." Then he's also saying, "Hey, by the way, you can take the mark of the beast and you're still saved. You could still get saved after you take the mark of the beast," he said.

This way he said, "I don't see why not." Yeah, I can see why not because the bible says, if you take the mark of the beast, you're damned. The bible says, if you receive the mark of the beast, you're going to drink of the wrath of God. You're going to go to hell and fire and brimstone. "I mean, but I don't see why not. Why not? Take the mark of the beast. You can still be saved. By the way, there's no warnings in any of the epistles of Paul about the tribulation."

Who you're going to believe, folks? It's right here in front of you. You're looking at it. It's right there but it's encouraging that they were withstanding the trials and persecutions and afflictions.

Look what it says in verse eight, "For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord. For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God; Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?"

Now, God himself and our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ direct our way unto you. He's saying there when he says, "Perfect that which is lacking," that helps us to understand the word "perfect" a little bit in the bible, because the word "perfect" in the bible, a lot of people when they see the word "perfect", they think it means sinless or without flaw. That's how we often use that word today. Actually in the bible, the word "perfect" means complete, entire or lacking nothing.

He said that he wanted to perfect that which was lacking in their faith. He's saying, "I'm very encouraged by all the great reports that I'm hearing about your church," but he said, "I've been wanting to go down there and kind of just perfect some of the things that were lacking in your faith and help you grow more in the Lord," and he's been praying that God would direct his way unto them.

He says in verse 12, "And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you." He's saying, "I want you to love one another," and that's something that Christ often taught, and he says, "Not just love one another but also to love people that are not saved."

Now, obviously, we love the brotherhood and we love our brothers and sisters in Christ, but it's also very important that we love the lost, that we love the unsaved. The love of Christ is what constrains us to go out and reach the lost with the gospel and win souls onto Christ and not to just love the brotherhood here, but also to love the unsaved enough to go out and preach the gospel to every creature and win them unto Christ.

He says, "I know you already have love one for another and that you already have love for the lost," but he said, "I want that love that you already have to increase and abound." He says, "Even as we do toward you." The standard for love there, Paul is saying, "I'm your example. I love people and I want you to love people the way that I love people." Ultimately, the apostle Paul really isn't the final standard toward love. Where is the final standard? Obviously, Jesus is the one who has the greatest love. God's love is the pattern.

The bible says, " Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends," and obviously, Jesus laid down his life for us. The bible says, "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." If we want to learn about the type of love that we should have, it's all based upon the love of God. The love that he has is the pattern for the love that we should have.

Now, some people will try to take this scripture right here and try to use this to teach that basically, we should love every single person in the world even like a pedophile or like horrific sons of the devil type people and they'll say, "Hey. Well, you know, we need to love every single person on this earth." Here's the problem with that. The bible actually teaches that there is a time to hate. There is a time when actually God's love runs out with people.

Now, most people have this teaching that God loves everyone equally and unconditionally, but that's really not true because of the fact that the bible talks a lot about that there are people that God hates. Just go back if you would to Hosea 7. I'll show you this in the bible. There are a lot of place that we could go in the bible to see this.

For example, the bible says in Psalm 11:5, it says, "The Lord trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth." The bible says that there are people who God's soul hates them. It talks about how he hates the workers of inequity, the bloody and deceitful men that are abhorred of the Lord.

The bible also says in Psalm 1:39, "Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? And am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies." Now, that's not just David talk, that's the word of God. That's the Book of Psalms. Keep in mind that in the New Testament, we are commanded to sing psalms. The Book of Psalms is not outdated or relegated to the Old Testament. No. The Book of Psalms is a timeless book of songs that we sing unto the Lord. Psalm 139 is even still a song in many churches. We don't sing it in our Baptist churches but we need to start singing it because then maybe people wouldn't forget that the doctrines of the bible are sometimes a little more complex than they want to think.

They want to think that basically, everybody is just loved by God unconditionally no matter what they do. Actually, the bible teaches that there's a line that people can cross where they're no longer in the love of God. Now, those of us that are saved, the bible says, nothing can separate us from the love of God. Once we're saved, once we've believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall not caught into condemnation. We've been passed from death unto life and who shall separate us from the love of God? I'm persuaded that neither height, nor depth, nor principalities, nor powers, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

God also loves the unsaved. He loves the lost. The bible says that God commanded his love toward us and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. God also loves the lost, but there comes a point where God's love does run out with people.

Now, the proof of that is that people go to hell. That's not a loving place. That's a place where they experience the wrath of God. Look at Hosea 9 and the verse that I want to show you is verse number 15. In Hosea 9, the bible reads, " All their wickedness is in Gilgal: for there I hated them: for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of mine house, I will love them no more: all their princes are revolters."

Isn't the bible pretty clear that God used to love these people because he says, "I hated them," but then he also says, "I will love them no more." What's he saying, "I loved them but now I'm now to the point where I love them no more. Now I hate them." Basically, people can get to a point as an unsaved person where they push it too far, they reject the Lord too much and God gives them over to a reprobate mind. The bible teaches that those are haters of the Lord. The bible teaches very clearly that he will at some point love them no more.

There are people who cross the line just like somebody needs to tell John MacArthur that when an unsaved person gets the mark of the beast, they just crossed the line where they can't be saved anymore. It's too late, and God warns people in Revelation. Once you take that mark, you're done. You have sealed your faith. God warns people in chapter 22 of Revelation that once you tamper with God's word, you're done. He said, "If you take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away your part out of the book of life and from the Holy City and from the things which are written in this book."

God told the Pharisees, he said, "You've crossed the line because you blasphemed the Holy Ghost." He said, "You have no forgiveness in this world, neither in the world to come." So it is possible, and if you would go to 2 Chronicles 19, it is possible for people to cross the line with God where they're no longer in the love of God, where God no longer loves them.

Now, people will say, "Well, God loves everybody and God's love is unconditional." Wait a minute. That's not what the bible says, because the bible clearly said here, "I will love them no more. I hated them because of their wickedness." People can push it too far.

Look at 2 Chronicles 19:2, "And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, 'Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord? Therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord.'" The bible is saying here that if we love those who hate the Lord, God's wrath will be upon us. We need to be careful that we don't fall into this thing of loving all people and all creatures all the same unconditionally.

That is actually a teaching of Eastern Mysticism. Read up on Hinduism, read up on Buddhism. They teach that we're all the same, and we're all one with the universe and they try to teach you that you must love every person alike. I'm sorry but a violent pedophile is not someone that I love. As David said, under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost in Psalm 139, "Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee?" Then people today would fault you for saying the exact same thing.

Even though David, the man after God's own heart said that he hated those who hate the Lord, and God sanctioned that by putting it in the Book of Psalms and ordained for that to be sung in New Testament churches in Ephesians 5 and in Colossians 3. Then right here, he rebuked someone saying, "Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord? Therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord."

Over and over again in the bible, it talks about the fact that for example, "God so loved the world," but see, he loved everybody at some point. He died for everybody. Everybody has a chance to be saved, but that doesn't mean that a person can never cross the line where it gets too late for them. The bible is real clear on a lot of places that they can cross that line where God will darken their heart and blind their eyes and that there are people according to John 12 that cannot believe because their mind has been darkened, and their heart has been hardened because they've crossed this line.

People will look at 1 Thessalonians 3 sometimes and try to use that to negate all those scriptures that talk about hate. Why? Because in 2015, hate is a dirty word. Any kind of hate is bad. No hate allowed, but is that teaching coming from the bible or is that coming from the world? See, the world has this agenda to demonize bible preaching and they call it hate speech. If you speak out against another religion, they will call you hateful. If you speak out against homosexuality, you're hateful.

This is their buzz word that they've been brainwashing people with over and over again. They say, "You need to love everybody. You need to love these violent pedophiles called homosexuals and you need to love these people." Wait a minute. What did the bible say? Over and over again, it talks about the fact that there are people who hate the Lord and are hated of the Lord. The bible even talks about that we should not love those who hate the Lord.

Now, your average unsaved person doesn't hate the Lord. Ninety-five percent of unsaved people don't hate Jesus. They're just not saved. They're ignorant. We need to get them the gospel. There are some people actually hate the Lord, and they've crossed the line with that.

Now, this is what the verse says. It says in 1 Thessalonians 3, "And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you." Now, let me just point out three things about this verse. First of all, it says, "The Lord make you do increase and abound in love." First of all, you can only increase and abound in that which you already have. If the church increased in number, that doesn't mean the church was founded. That means the church was already there and then it increased.

Number one, it says that our love would increase and abound. The love that we already have that it will become more bountiful. Then it says, "In love one toward another," that's talking about to the fellow church members at Thessalonica. It says, "One to another," that's toward their fellow church members. Then it says, "And toward all men even as we do towards you." The context there when it says, "Toward one another and toward all men," he's saying, "Love the people within the church, love the people outside of the church. Love people that are saved, love people that are not saved." He's not saying love every single person. That's not what's being taught here.

Then the last part of the verse, the third thing I want to show you, it says, "Even as we do toward you." What is our pattern when it comes to love? It's the love of Christ. It's the love of God. We should love even as he loved. Here's the thing. That means we love who he loves in the way he loves and that's the pattern. If God is saying that he does not love every single person but that there are some people who he loved in the past but they've crossed the line, then that's our exact pattern.

God doesn't tell us, "You love these, I don't love them but I want you to love them." I mean, do you really think that's what God in heaven is doing? I don't love certain people that love violence, that are reprobates. I don't love them but I want you to love them. Would that make any sense for God to not set the example. When he says, "No, increase and abound in love one toward another and toward all men, even as we do." That's the standard. That's the pattern that we should follow.

If you're trying to be more loving than God, something's wrong with that picture. There's an agenda and you say, "Well, why even talk about this, Pastor Anderson? Are you afraid people are going to be too loving or something?" Because here's the problem. There's a teaching in the bible that says, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him."

The problem is that what we're being brainwashed with in today's America is basically, we're being confronted with some of the sickest, worst human beings, just the most disgusting perverts and they're being lifted up in the media and we're being told, "Be a good Christian. Love these people." What they want to do is they want us to allow literal child molesters and pedophiles into our church and it's all in the name of love. Well, yeah, I mean, we got to love these people.

See, they perceive love as give these people a hug, bring them in, sit them down with us, be their friend. That's not what God wants. He doesn't want us to be benefiting the haters of the Lord. There are certain people that are enemies that we need to just be aware of and stay away from. We need to keep our children away from violent predators and not just say, "Oh, well, we just love everybody. Just bring them."

Here's the thing. How could you love someone who is a mass murderer or someone who is a child molester? That's sick. God says of these people that they're abhorred of the Lord. He says these violent, bloody, deceitful predators are hated of his soul. If they're hated of my soul, then I'm following in the footsteps of the Lord himself and also of David, the man after God's own heart, and also of the teachings of the scripture.

We just want to be careful that we never just take one verse and try to run with it as a proof text. See, sometimes people will just look for a verse in the bible somewhere, the proof text, that convenient little text that they can just grab a hold of and try to twist it from its original meaning. What's the intent of this verse? The intent of this verse is saying, "Hey, you're a loving church. I want your love to increase." He's saying, "I want your love to increase within the church and toward those outside the church." That's the context. Not, "Hey, I really want you to love violent child rapists more." That's not what this verse is teaching. Anybody who sees that in this verse is warping scripture at that point.

You know what? I happen to believe that the whole bible is God's word, all of it. Therefore, whenever we have a few ideas that seem to be contrary, over here, God's talking about love, but then over here, he's talking about hatred and wrath and so forth, we have to figure out a way to balance these truths, and get to the heart of what God wants us to do and to believe as Christians and not just pick the one we like.

If we have two things that seem to contradict in the bible, we don't just pick the one we like. No, we realize that they're both true, and then we reinterpret them based upon how they could both be true, not just pick one and throw out the other.

You see, modern Christianity just wants to ignore all the verses about God's hatred and they want to ignore all the verses about the hatred that God's people should have for those who are reprobate. See, they just want to just ... They don't even interpret them different than I do. They just don't interpret them. They just avoid them and stay away from them. Whereas, if we're going to believe that the bible is God's word, we can't just take the positive parts, we got to take all of it, all of it.

What's this verse teaching? God wants us to increase and abound in love one toward another. It's very important in our church that we love our fellow church members, and that we realize that we're a family and that we're brothers and sisters in Christ, and we need to continually try to show love to our fellow church members, our brothers and sisters in Christ. Then how do we love or how do we show our love toward all men? We do that most effectively by preaching the gospel because the bible says, "The love of Christ constraineth us."

Christ died for all because all were dead. So the love of Christ is what compels us to go out and preach the gospel. The bible says, "Of some have compassion, making a difference. Other is save with fear pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment spotted by the flesh." When the bible tells us that we should have the love of Christ toward all men, it means that we're going out and attempting to get all men saved. That's what the bible is teaching.

We go out and knock every single door. We go out and talk to every single person we can and we strive to get every single person that we possibly can save. "Is it too late for some people?" "Yeah." "Are some people just not going to listen?" "Yeah, but we do our best. We try to go out and talk to everybody before it's too late, before they breathe their last breath or before it's too late for some other reason, but we go out and we try to get them saved."

When the bible says that we're supposed to love those outside the church, love the unsaved, he's not saying hang out with them and participate in their sin, and delight in worldly entertainments and so forth. What he's teaching is that we should love them enough to give them the gospel and love them also. You have to just be kind unto them, help people out that are in the church when they are down on their luck, they need groceries, they need help with something. We could step in and help people and then also, unsaved people outside the church.

We see people that need a hand, maybe they need some fix on their car, they need some work done at their house, maybe they are just down on their luck and need a few bucks or whatever, that we would actually reach out and help people and also give them the gospel, so that they can see the love of Christ in us. That's what's being taught in this scripture.

Now, look at the last verse of the chapter, verse 13. It says, "To the end he may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints." Now, this is a very important phrase here, "At the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints." Now, what's the bible saying here? That we will be established, unblameable in holiness before God and it says, "At the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints."

Think about this. When is that going to happen, the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints? Whenever that happens, that's when we want to appear before him unblameable in holiness. Isn't that what it says? Now, those who believe in the pre-tribulation rapture, here's what they'll say, and they have a cute way of saying this. They'll say, "Well, at the rapture before the tribulation," they say, "At the rapture, Jesus Christ comes for his own and then at the second coming, he comes with his own." Who's ever heard that before?

They try to differentiate between the rapture and the second coming. They say, "At the rapture, he comes for his own and at the second coming, he comes with his own." Let's see if that's really true. Flip over to chapter four where we have the famous rapture passage. It says in verse number 13, "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him."

Now, does this sound like he's coming with his own there? Yeah. For them to say, "At the rapture, he comes for his own and at the second coming, he comes with his own," this is the rapture passage and he's coming with them because it says, "That they which are asleep in Jesus will God bring with him." Then it says, "For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord." Oops! I thought that the rapture and the second coming are two different things. No, because right here, the rapture is being called the coming of the Lord.

We know it's not his first coming because his first coming happened at Bethlehem's manger. Unless this is coming 1.5, this would have to be the second coming. I mean, look, it's not that complicated. First coming, Bethlehem's manger. Second coming is when he comes in the clouds at the rapture. "Oh, but that's not the second coming because he didn't touch all the way down." Hey, so who defines the second coming, you or God? "I mean, he didn't touchdown. He didn't touch the ground." Well, who defines the second coming? What gives you the right to put all this stipulation? "Well, you didn't touch the ground."

Hold on. What does the bible define as the coming? According to the bible, coming in the clouds is coming. So the bible says, "The coming of the Lord," and what's he talking about? The rapture. Let's read it. It says, "We which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words."

Now, some people would say this, "Well, wait a minute. It says, "The dead in Christ are going to rise first." I thought he's bringing them with him? How does that work? Here's the thing. He's bringing the souls and the bodies rise. That's why it says both. That's why it says that when Jesus Christ comes, then it says, "Those which are asleep in Jesus will God bring with him." That's talking about the souls from heaven. He's going to bring them with him.

Then it says, "The dead in Christ shall rise first." That's talking about the dead bodies that are in the ground. Basically, the body rises. The souls are brought with it and then in a moment, in a twinkle of an eye, they're changed. Then we which are alive and remain, obviously, he's not bringing with him because we're already here. Body, soul and spirit is already on here. We which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with him in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words."

Two things I want to point out about the famous rapture passage in 1 Thessalonians 4 is that number one, it's called the coming of the Lord, and that makes it the second coming. I don't care what anybody says about whether he touched down or not, it's still called the second coming, even if he just came in the clouds, gathered the saints and took them to heaven. That's called the second coming of Jesus Christ.

Now, they'll try to take you to Revelation 19 to show you the second coming of Jesus Christ, but guess what? You're not going to find there. You're not going to find that being referred to as his coming. You'll not find that referred to as the coming of the Lord. That's very important doctrinally. That will eliminate a lot of confusion about scripture once you understand that the coming of the Lord Jesus and the rapture are the same event, and that the Revelation 19 event at the Battle of Armageddon where Jesus on a white horse is a different later event and that is not the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's not referred to as such.

The first thing I want to point out there is that it's called the coming of the Lord. Then the second thing I want to point out is that those which are asleep in Jesus will God bring with him. He's going to bring with him the saints.

Now, go back to 1 Thessalonians 3:13 with that mind. It says, "To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints." Now, what event is that referring to? That's referring to the rapture. The coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, that's what they called it in chapter four, with all his saints, "That's all those which are asleep in Jesus which God shall bring with him," which makes sense because we want to be unblameable in holiness before him when he comes. When he appears, we want to be found in him in righteousness.

Now, if you would go to Jude, the book right before the Book of Revelation, Jude, and we'll see how consistent the bible is on this subject. Look at Jude and in verse number 14 it says, "And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, 'Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.'"

Now, think about this. It says here, "The Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints," that's those that God's going to bring with him. The coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints, 1 Thessalonians 3:13. What does it say he's coming to do? "Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds."

What's it saying? That when Jesus Christ comes back with his saints, when Jesus Christ comes in the clouds and the bible says, "These which are asleep in Jesus will God bring with him, and then once we're caught up together to meet him in the clouds." What's he going to do after that? He's going to execute judgment upon the ungodly world, also known as pouring out his wrath.

Isn't the bible just consistent over and over again with the timeline? It's always tribulation, then the rapture, second coming of Christ, whatever you want to call it, and then there's the executing of judgment, the pouring out of his wrath, the punishing of the earth. It's always consistent. It's always in that order. You'll never find a teaching in the bible that mixes up this order and has people being raptured before any of the tribulation. You'll never find scripture that teaches that the wrath of God is being poured out during the tribulation. That's not what the bible teaches. It doesn't start until after Christ comes in the clouds. Very clear, very consistent throughout scripture.

As we study 1 Thessalonians, it becomes clear that 1 Thessalonians chapter four has to be understood within the context of the whole book. Then 1 Thessalonians itself has to be understood in the context of the whole bible. In order to get a clear understanding of any subject, whether that subject is the love of God or whether that subject is end times bible prophecy, whatever the case may be, we need to take all of scripture into account because all scriptures given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction and righteousness that the man of God may be perfect. What's perfect mean? Complete, thoroughly furnished into all good works. We need to have a complete understanding of all things, and we get that complete understanding through reading the entire bible.

Let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer. Father, we thank you so much for your word, Lord, and we thank you for this great book. Father, we pray that you please just help these words to sink down into our ears, Lord, so that we can become unmovable. Help us to be like those Thessalonians that would not be moved. Lord, if we are the generation that faces the events of the great tribulation, I pray that you would strengthen us in the inner man that we would be able to withstand in the evil day, and to be able to stand up to the persecution that comes and wait patiently for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in the clouds. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.